The Spiritual Path Church is set to welcome another group of Tibetan monks this month.
The monks, representing the Gaden Shartse Phukan Educational Foundation, will visit the church at 2041 Moravian Street from July 25-27.
They are a different group than those who have visited the church in the past.
“This group is different to the ones we’ve had before,” said the Rev. Karen Heasley. “They’re all Tibetan monks, but they come from different monasteries. This is more of an educational group.”
“I like to have them come as much as possible. They show my congregation the different culture of Tibetan monks, the culture and customs that a lot of people here don’t necessarily know about. So I try to bring something a little different to this community that they can learn from.”
The visit is part of a US tour, whose purpose, according to the church’s website, is to “share monastic culture, meditation practices and the path to inner peace and compassion with all people.” Funds raised will also be used to build a much-needed dormitory for the monks.
The first talk by the monk is scheduled for July 25 at 7 p.m. and will focus on meditations on patience and compassion. A $20 donation is required to attend.
On July 26th at 6:30pm, participants will have a traditional dinner with the monks, again with a $20 donation requested.
The monks will conclude their visit with a focus on the Vajra Buddha, a cleansing and healing ritual, at 7 p.m., July 27. A donation of $25 is requested.
Tickets for any or all events may be purchased online at https://spiritualpathspiritualistchurch.org .
One of the things the former monks used to do when they visited the church was to create sand mandalas, which worldhistory.org defines as “works of art generally intended to promote healing, peace, or purification, and especially to promote spiritual or psychological focus in the creator and viewer.” That said, the church does have several sand mandalas that are open to the public.
“People are invited to come up and look at the mandalas,” Heasley said. “We have some that are healing themed and some that are peace themed.” Typically, the monks remove the mandalas before they leave, but “I asked them if I could keep them in the church, and we keep them in a glass case,” Heasley added.
Heasley encourages everyone to attend at least one monk session, calling it “a first-of-its-kind experience, something different in your life.”
“Plus,” she added, “the monks travel around to many populated areas, so coming to this small church allows people to have a closer relationship with the monks.”
